If you ever take a notion that everything is boring, and everybody is the same, pause for a moment and imagine the person who came up with this vision for a new business: to make the perfectly hot salsa, proudly name the company after a crazy dog, become nationally known for quality, and do it all according to the “Four Fs.”

Meet Michael Francis, Newark Catholic High School graduate, President of Mayhem Foods, and a regular vendor at on Tuesday and Friday afternoons at the Canal Market. His founding of Mayhem has its roots in a college restaurant job where the Mexican cooks shared a breakfast with him that he likens to “taking a bite out of the sun and washing it down with a glass of molten lava.”

But it was not just the heat that he noticed. “It tasted awesome.”

From that experience, Francis says he began growing his own peppers and developing his own recipes.

“We do not skimp on ingredients,” he says. “We only use fresh peppers, from the Anaheim peppers in our mild salsa to the ghost peppers in the ghost pepper salsa. We prefer flavor with our spicy.”

With new national and regional salsa products seeming to hit the market every day, Francis is upbeat, optimistic, and energetic in building a presence in central Ohio and beyond.

“In the Columbus market, we are all over,” he says. “We are in 10 retail stores and we are doing 12 farmers’ markets this summer.”

Locally, besides Canal Market, you can find the entire Mayhem line of products at the Market Basket on Cherry Valley Road. Mayhem products include seven varieties of salsa and an equal number of mustards, graded from “mild” to “extreme.” Francis says that currently, his Bacon Bourbon Jalapeno Mustard is most popular.

“This one has a real mild heat to it, so it can be enjoyed by everyone!”

While endeavoring to build a business that will grow beyond its central Ohio base, Francis’s presence in local stores and markets reflects a deep commitment to local foods.

“When you buy and sell locally,” he says, “you are not paying the multi-million bonus to the CEO of a large organization; you are helping local businesses put their kids through school and pay their bills.”

Elaborating on the point, he says “Here at Mayhem Foods we believe that giving back to the community in which we and our customers live is integral to the beliefs on which this company was founded: Faith, Family, Friends, and Food.” The “Four Fs” mentioned above.

But where does the “Mayhem” in the name come from?

“Right about the time I started the business, my family had to put our dog down. Her name was Marley, and we had rescued her at age 2. I know everyone says this, but she was the best dog ever! She had a crazy side to her at first, and we nicknamed her Marley Mayhem.”

If you feel like putting some spice into your day, stop by and meet Michael Francis at his company’s display in the east pavilion at today’s Canal Market between 4 and 7 pm.